Stepladder brace



Jan. 9, 1934.

N. L. THRASHER STEPLADDER BRACE Filed Aug. 29, 1933 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a brace designed primarily for use on a step ladder, one of the objects being to provide a jointed brace adapted to be secured readily to the rear support or strut of a ladder and to one of the steps of the device so as to limit the relative swinging movement of these parts and at the same time permit the joint in the brace to be readily broken to facilitate folding of the brace and ladder.

A still further object is to provide a brace which can be readily secured to the ladder and the parts of which can all be formed from sheet metal blanks.

Another object is to provide simple means for holding the brace in extended position so as to hold the parts of the ladder properly spaced while in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a step ladder having the present improvements combined therewith.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a sheet metal plate provided at one end with a laterally extending arm bent to form a depending yoke 2 which opens upwardly. The opposed sides of this yoke are connected by a rivet 3 and pivotally mounted on this rivet is one end of an arcuate link 4 having its convex edge uppermost.

Straddling link 4 adjacent to the center thereof is an inverted yoke 5 formed of sheet metal and extending from the lower ends of the sides of this yoke are parallel arms 6 connected by a rivet 7, on which is pivotally mounted that end of link 4 remote from yoke 2.

Adjacent to the rivet 5 the arms 6 diverge as at 8 and merge into parallel terminal ears 9.

The step ladder A is provided with the usual support or strut B made up of side members as clearly indicated in Figure 2. The ears 9 extend between these side members and are pivotally connected to them by rivets v10 or the like. Plate 1 is secured to the bottom surface of one of the steps C of the ladder.

When the ladder is folded the brace is folded 29, 1933. Serial No. 687,346

or broken upwardly at the joint '7, as will be obvious. When the ladder is open the brace will unfold until brought to the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 at which time the inverted yoke 5 will bear downwardly on the upper convex edge of link 4 so as to limit the relative downward movement of the brace members. At this time the rivets or pivot members 3, 7 and 10 will occupy substantially the same plane. Thus the joint in the brace can be broken upward readily by thrusting in an upward direction thereagainst adjacent to the rivet 7.

Importance is attached to the fact that the brace member made up of yoke 5, arms 6 and diverging portions 8, is in one piece. By having an arcuate link 4 the link 5 can be utilized as an efficient means for stopping relative movement of the parts when the three pivots are Lbrought into the same plane.

Obviously as the parts of the brace are formed of sheet metal they can be readily cut and shaped by means of suitable dies so that production can thus be eiected rapidly and at low cost.

While this device has been described and illustrated primarily as a brace for step ladders it is to be understood that it can be used in connection with any structure having movably connected members adapted to be restrained by a foldable brace of the type herein described.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable brace including a sheet metal attaching plate having an integral depending yoke opening upwardly, an elongated strip of sheet metal providing an intermediate inverted yoke and arms extending from the yoke, and a link pivoted at one end in the first-named yoke and at its other end between the arms, said link having a convex upper edge adapted to be straddled between its ends by the inverted yoke.

2. The combination with movably connected members, of a sheet metal attaching plate attached to one of the members and having an integral yoke depending therefrom and opening upwardly, an elongated sheet metal strip providing an intermediate inverted yoke and arms extending from the yoke, pivotal connections between said arms and the other member, and a link pivotally mounted at one end in the firstnamed yoke and at its other end between the arms, said link having a convex upper edge for engagement at a point between its ends by the inverted yoke;

NED L. THRASHER. 

